JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — School may be out for the summer, but now is a great time to make a plan about how to handle your child’s food allergies in the classroom.
For Atlantic Coast High School student Runali Salvi, food allergies have always been part of life.
But nearly two years ago, one terrifying week changed everything. That week a friend offered her a snack, she thought was safe.
“All of a sudden I felt my mouth swelling up,” says Salvi. “I read the ingredients and it didn’t have peanuts listed as an allergen, but I felt like my mouth swelling up and then I felt super tired and just, I broke out into hives.”
The snack wasn’t clearly labeled as containing nuts. Days later, she ran into another scary situation. Runali thought she was drinking allergen friendly milk, but it was really dairy milk.
“I mistakenly drank it and I on a bike ride. All of a sudden my legs felt like they couldn’t move and I couldn’t breathe at all and I super tired. So, I put down my bike, and I laid on the sidewalk, then I lose memory,” says Salvi.
She was able to call her mom before she passed out. A neighbor then found her and she was rushed to the hospital.
“I almost died during that reaction, because I wasn’t careful,” Runali emphasized.
The back-to-back emergencies forced the then-middle schooler to confront a reality she says many people don’t understand.
“In school, people kind of treated it as a joke. It’s not really treated as a medical concern. It’s more treated like you’re picky and have a preference,” says Salvi.
Runali is allergic to eight of the top nine primary food allergens including wheat, tree nuts, shellfish, dairy, eggs, and sesame.
Runali’s mom says parents have to advocate and stress the importance of their child’s food allergies to school leadership and faculty.
“Communication is very important. The teachers were really receptive to everything I had to tell them.”
Runali’s mom says each grade level present’s new challenges, but she’s been pleased with how supportive Duval County teacher have been regarding Runali’s food allergies.
Today, Salvi is turning her experiences into action.
The rising senior created “Fight the Allergy Blues”. It’s a resource hub now featured by the district to help students, parents and educators better understand food allergies.
“The main part is awareness and education and implementing a place where students can feel safe with food allergies,” says Runali.
Runali’s father, who also shared about their families navigation of food allergies, told Action News Jax he’s proud of how is daughter has used her voice to bring awareness for other students. With summer break underway, Runali hopes families use the summer months to start those conversations early. She also wants students with allergies to remember they’re never alone. “It’s so important to put your priorities and your safety first above all. Safety is a priority always,” says Runali.
On Duval County’s School Health Services webpage, families can submit allergy documentation and review district policies here.
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